Factors affecting the use of climate information services for agriculture: Evidence from Iran

Abstract

The use of Climate Information Services (CIS) is considered the most important solution for the long-term adaptation of the agricultural sector in dealing with the challenges caused by climate change. While there are examples of successful CIS programs in the agricultural sector of developed countries, there are barriers to successfully using CIS programs for farmers in developing countries. In this regard, this research was carried out with two general objectives: (i) identifying the factors affecting the use of CIS by farmers, and (ii) providing practical policies for applying this information in the agricultural sector of Iran. A comprehensive Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) theory was used as the theoretical framework for this research, and self-efficacy (SE), social norm (SN), and perceived trust (PT) were added as variables. This research was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM), and a designed questionnaire was used as the data-gathering instrument. The statistical population of this research includes all farmers of Dezful city in Khuzestan province (southwest of Iran). The findings of the research showed that the initial TAM explains 0.537 % of the variance of farmers' behavioral intention in using CIS. The three primary TAM constructs included Attitude, Perceived Usefulness (PU), and Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), all of which had positive effects on farmers' willingness. Most importantly, by including SE, SN, and PT variables, the developed TAM can increase the model's ability to predict farmers' intentions by 13.5 %.